United's record in opening-day fixtures

09 August 2018

Mourinho warned United could face a "difficult" season if the club failed to sign new players, but he is insisting he will be content to work with the players in his squad in comments that may not reveal his true feelings after a disappointing few weeks of transfer business.

Mourinho also suggested he had not been given enough credit for guiding United to a runners-up finish in the Premier League last season, as he again suggested the negativity around the club was misplaced. The 25-year-old signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth around £50 million and joined up with United for part of their preseason tour of the USA after a post-World Cup break.

But Mourinho has been keen on bolstering his squad further after they finished second last season, 19 points behind champions Manchester City. "It's what the team lacked - someone who plays 'jogo bonito,' as they say in Brazil". And Andreas Pereira too.

The Chile worldwide, 29, said he feels more comfortable at United now following a full preseason with the club and hopes to combine more effectively with teammates Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku this term, beginning with the season-opening match against Leicester City on Friday.

"When you look at Manchester City, possibly Liverpool, I don't think they [United] have the quality of those two teams at the minute", Scholes said.

"I want this season's title race to be more spicy and I think it will be", Wright said. I am calm. My team-mates have to be focused. I depend on them.

"It's [improving] positively, it goes better".

Nevertheless, Sanchez is adamant that regardless of who starts the game, United's players will approach the game expecting to win.

"If we don't make our team better, it will be a hard season for us". "In general, I like to always be in contact with the ball". And I want to see them win the title, but I fear it's going to be very hard for that to happen this season.